Working Title
by erika red
Summary: Alternate Universe Fluffin' BA. Please review!
1. The setup

_A/N: A little more than fluff, with an alternate universe thrown in for good measure. Please Review.

* * *

_Alex stretched, rolling her shoulders, then relaxing.

"Hey, Lex," Jimmy nodded to her from behind the bar, sliding a shot towards her. "Guy over there bought you a drink."

"Mm." She took it without looking over, and downed the shot, sliding the glass back. "Thanks."

"When you gettin' off tonight?"

"Past your bedtime, Jimmy." She smirked, and he laughed.

The bar was dark, and smoky. The thump of the sound system vibrated through her. She was _tired. _She sat down in a booth, and looked over the files. The stapler, paperwork, and ashtray of cigarette butts generally deterred all but the most persistant and stupid of men.

"Hey," She didn't look up. "Excuse me? Hi?"

"Yes?" She glanced up at a guy, maybe mid-thirties, baby face, dark hair. He carried himself like he was a lot bigger than he was.

"I bought you a drink... I was hoping I might get to talk to you a little bit."

"I didn't realize your gifts came with strings attatched."

"No strings." He smiled patiently, and slid into the booth facing her.

"Then you won't mind if I work." She smiled and looked down at her papers, ignoring him.

"What are you working on?" He reached for a paper. Without looking up, she laid her hand firmly on the sheet. "You really are a tough one,"

"Look, I pay the waitresses to put up with men like you so that I don't have to. Go bother one of them." She met his eyes.

"You're a little bitch, aren't you. Thinking you're so much better because you manage a dive bar."

She stared at him.

"Someone should teach you a lesson in respect."

"Jimmy!" She pointed at the man sitting across from her, and Jimmy was suddenly hauling him out of his seat.

"Alright, pal, it's time for you to go home and sleep it off."

"Get your hands off me!" The smaller man squirmed out of his grasp, brushing off his suit. He stumbled backwards towards the door. "You're a fucking bitch. You think you're too good for guys like me? Huh?" He was shouting, but walking himself out.

"Here, babe." Jimmy handed her a cold beer, and sat down.

"Seriously, is it a full moon tonight?" She shook her head and laughed ruefully, rubbing her eyes.

"You're gonna go blind trying to do this shit out here. It's too dark."

"Yeah, I know. I wanted to just go over the numbers real quick."

"Real quick? You've set up a mini office." He picked up her stapler, and examined it. "Where's the coffee maker?"

"Ha ha, you're very funny."

"C'mon Lex, go home. You aren't scheduled to close tonight anyway. You can't keep pulling shifts like this."

"It's my bar."

"What about sleeping? Do you sleep?"

"No." She smiled. "Okay. You win. I'll pack it up."

"That's a girl." He stood up and returned to his post behind the bar.

* * *

She out the back door and into the parking lot. She jumped as hands roughly grabbed her arms and pushed her against the building. 

"Maybe now you'll listen." He hissed.

"What the fuck is your problem?" She kneed the guy, and when his grip on her arms slackened, she punched him. Her punch in and of itself might not have done much damage, save for the key ring around her middle finger. Keys leave a mark.

"Fucking bitch!" He squealed.

Suddenly, two larger hands whisked him off the ground, and shook him slightly.

"Apologize."

"W-what?" The smaller man stuttered.

Alex stared. A big man was holding her would-be attacker an inch or two off the ground.

"I said, 'apologize' .. or don't you know what that means?" He wasn't yelling. In fact, he seemed quite calm.

"I'm s-sorry. I'm sorry."

"Not to _me,_ moron, to her." He shoved the guy down, and vaguely in her direction. He tripped, and looked up at her.

"I'm sorry."

"Now get the fuck out of here before she decides to finish you off." He turned, a cigarette hanging from his mouth, and a lighter cupped in his hands.

"This night just gets weirder and weirder."

"Yeah, well, I was just walking back from the store, and I see some dipshit suit trying to mess with a woman? I mean, not that he was succeeding, but that's just fucked up."

"Well, thanks. I doubt I would have gotten an apology from him."

"No problem." He shrugged slightly. "This your car?"

"No, actually. I don't have one."

"Why are you in a parking lot, then? Isn't that like, the first rule of self-defense?"

"I never took a self-defense class."

"You're shitting me."

"I've got three brothers."

"That explains a lot. But.. why are you out here?"

"My apartment's just over here.. it's a short cut."

"Short cuts at 3 am..."

"I know, I know. Bad idea." She smiled sheepishly, and looked up at him. He was kinda scruffy. A big guy, good jawline, leather jacket, full head of curly hair, and smoking.

"I'm Bobby." He stuck out his hand.

"Alex."

"Listen, I realize we've just met, but since I kind of already know where you live since you just told me, would it be...?"

"You can walk me home."

"I'd never forgive myself if you got jumped by ninjas and I wasn't around to help."

"The way this night is going?" She laughed. "Ninjas would not surprise me."


	2. Mini fluff

_In a different time, and a different place..._

* * *

Alex chewed on a piece of ice, and put her glass down on the side table. She was feeling much more awake now. Bobby sat on her couch, swirling the watery alcohol mix in his own glass.

"Thanks for the drink," He smiled.

"What better way to reward a hero than with alcohol?"

"That's a rhetorical question, right?"

"At this stage in our relationship?" She cocked her head, "Of course it's rhetorical."

"So you're a bartender? Dancer?"

"Dancer?"

"Well.." He shrugged. "You look like you could be. Except you're prettier than most girls."

She lit a cigarette, between dainty little fingers and blew smoke to her side. "I run the place. What about you?"

"What about me," He stood up, and she did too.

"What do you do?"

"Freelance." He moved towards her door, and she stood in front of him.

"Stay." She looked up at him, and he looked at her, puzzled. "For a while."

"It's four am."

"So you're really late or really early. Either way.."

He looked at her, then moved back towards the couch.

"Freelance what?"

"Freelance whatever. Look, I really appreciate the drink, and I like you.. despite the unusual circumstances. But I really have to go."

She didn't say anything, just frowned at him.

"What?"

"You're lying. And you're scared. I mean, I know I lay into that guy, but I can't believe you're scared of _me_."

He sighed. "I'm not. Scared of you." He looked up at her, then back at the couch.

"So what, you're like, the neighborhood loner? You get to help people and be friendly, but if anyone tries to get in your business, you run away? You've got some sort of superhero complex."

"Look, I'm sorry if I got in your business,"

"That's not what I mean and you know it."

"So what do you want? A life story?"

"I'm a bit tired right now for an entire life story, fascinating as I'm sure yours is," She raised an eyebrow, and he smiled. "But maybe a number, or idea of where you live or work. Maybe we could get drinks again. Under different circumstances."

"Right."

"Is that a lot to ask?"

"No.. it's not. I'd like that, actually."

"Great." She put down her glass and scribbled on a piece of paper. "Here's my number, and you obviously know where I live."

* * *

"Fuck," Lewis groped for his glasses, and looked up at Bobby. "Man, you know what time it is? What the fuck are you smiling about? I hate you." 

"Go back to sleep."

"I can't, you're gloating too loudly. What'd you do, get laid?" Lewis sat up and squinted. "Seriously, what time is it?"

"Five? Six, maybe."

"There's something very wrong with you."

"You only just figured that out?" He grinned and plopped onto the sofa across from the futon. "I met a girl." He fiddled with the outer seam of his pants.

"No shit. Look, I have to be up in an hour, you think you could, I dunno, shut the hell up until then?"

"She's great, man. Great!" He jumped off the couch and disappeared into his bedroom.

* * *

_Oh noes! I smell a plot! Please R&R, and stay tuned.._


	3. Parting is such sweet sorrow

_A/N: In this alternate universe, the time period is sort of equivalent to the 80's, early 90's America. Everyone smokes, (still), and in the cities, it's the corporate suits who think they're entitled to everything, _especially _money (not so different from today, but the stockmarket was like a candy store without a cash register, and the suits, children). Likewise, Bobby and Alex are a fair bit younger, though still full of the same fire and wit, if a bit more ... hopeful. Thanks for the great reviews so far, please keep it up.

* * *

_ "So... come on, what _do _you do? And 'freelance' isn't gonna cut it," She smiled at him, and held her glass poised to drink from it.

"I don't want to lie to you,"

"So don't lie to me."

"Okay.." He exhaled, and lay his fork on his plate, then looked up at her again. "I'm a con man."

"Right. A thief with a heart of gold?"

"A regular robin hood. I steal from the rich and greedy and give to the poor --"

"and needy?"

"You got it." He shrugged, sipping his wine. "Though I would have worded it differently. I'm not big on rhyming."

"Ah." She smiled. "You're a horrible liar, you know."

"Probably because I'm not lying."

"You're leaving something out."

"Everyone does."

"Okay. I'll take what I can get." She grinned.

"You're surprisingly understanding. You still don't believe me, do you,"

"Actually, I do believe you. You're charming, clever, honorable... even if you're a little warped about it, and you're disarmingly honest."

"Is that bad?" He looked concerned.

* * *

"Your bill, sir." The waiter slipped the leather booklet next to Bobby's hand, and stepped away. 

Alex had a cigarette lit, and was sipping ice water.

"I definitely wouldn't have had you pegged as having a taste for fine dining when we met."

"I'm hurt," He pulled his wallet from his jacket, and peeked at the check.

"I think it was the leather." She smirked.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I don't consider having money being something to brag about."

"Likewise."

"I like you." He slid a few notes into the sleeve, setting it on the edge of the table, and looked up at her.

"Gee, thanks. .. I like you, too."

* * *

"I had a really nice time tonight." She smiled up at him. He'd told the cab to wait for him while he walked her to her door. 

"Yeah, me too."

"I'm not just saying that. It's .. kind of unusual for me to enjoy dates."

"This is a date? Shoot.."

"Stop it," She laughed.

"I really like you a lot," He was serious again.

"Likewise."

He thumbed her jaw gently, and tilted her chin up as he leaned down to kiss her. Her hands slid up over his shoulders, and he pulled her closer. The kiss was brief, but they didn't part after it. Instead, he kissed her again, the third kiss the longest and by far the best kiss Alex ever got, the runners up being the first two. A shiver went through her, and when he did pull apart, she wished he hadn't.

He smiled and pushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear.

"I gotta go, the meter's running." He whispered.

"You planned that."

"Yeah..." He ducked his head.

"Thank you." She smiled, and he waited until she unlocked her door and went inside, before he jumped down the steps, tapping the top of the door frame with his fingers on his way out. He got into the cab, grinning.


End file.
